Ellen Nam

Kindergarten Teacher

Brattleboro, Windham County

My father is Korean, and my mother is American; my father came to the US to study, and my parents met at UMass. I was born in Western Massachusetts and grew up on Cape Cod. I came to Brattleboro in 1994 to get my Masters degree in Education at Antioch University New England in Keene, NH. My husband and I liked the Brattleboro area so much we wanted to stay on after I graduated. We currently live in Dummerston with our daughter and son, and our dog, cat, and chickens. Having worked on organic and educational farms in the past, I knew I wanted to settle in a place where I could have a big garden and space for animals.

I love the beauty of Vermont and the opportunities for outdoor activities such as skiing, hiking, gardening, and keeping chickens in our backyard. We are so lucky to be able to eat locally farmed food from our garden, the farmers' market, and the Brattleboro Food Co-op. I also really appreciate and value the emphasis on the arts in Southern Vermont. We have access to an amazing variety of arts in this area—theater, music, visual arts, circus arts, pottery…and much more! This emphasis on the arts in our region provides wonderful opportunities for our children as well. Our children have participated in circus arts, video camps, and pottery lessons, just to name a few of the possibilities!

Since moving to Vermont, I have connected with people and families who have been drawn to the area for similar reasons and have similar interests and values, such as outdoor activities, the arts, and raising kids in a rural setting. I have also developed community with the people I teach with and the families I work with. Growing up on Cape Cod, which was primarily Caucasian, I was the only Asian child in my school until I entered high school. When I first moved to Brattleboro, I was delighted to find a Korean restaurant downtown and an Asian food store on Main Street (which has since closed). I have found ways to intentionally seek out diversity for myself and my children, such as working with the English Language Learner students and their families at my school, connecting with international students at the School for International Training, and participating in international cooking classes offered at the Brattleboro Food Co-op. It's an amazingly beautiful and rich place to live and raise our children!